Vehicle-body



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Patented Jan. 5, 1897,

VEHIGLE BODY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.v

IVALTER H. TOMLINSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE-BODY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 574,502, dated January 5, 1897'. Application filed J'une 18, 1896. Serial ll'ol 596,060. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom; t may concern:

Beit known that I, WALTER H. ToMLINsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to that class of vehicles known as delivery-wagons, and especially to the body portion thereof.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, economical, and efcient deliverywagon; and the invention consists in the features, combinations, and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a vertical sectional elevation, taken through the longitudinal center of the vehicle-body,

showing the vehicle in what I term its open y position; Fie. 2, a similar view to that illustrated in Fig. 1, showing` the vehicle in what I term its closed position; and Fig. 3, a transverse sectional elevation taken on line 3 of Fig. 2.

In the art to which this invention relates it is well known that during fair weather it is desirable to have the driver or messenger sit as close to the front portion of the wagon as possible, as he has to constantly get out of and into the vehicle for the purpose of delivering or receiving merchandise, while at the same time it is desirable to have a vehicle that may be closed, so that during stormy weather the driver, messenger, and articles of merchandise may be protected from the elements. Further, it is desirable that it should be so constructed that when in its closed position the driver or messenger can get into or out of the same easily and readily.

My invention therefore is designed principall y to produce a vehicle of the least number of parts that will meet the above requirements by making certain portions of it collapsible or foldable, so that they may be used for different purposes, as hereinafter Adescribed.

In illustrating or describing my inventions or improvements I will only illustrate or describe that which I consider new, in connection with so much as is old and necessary for the disclosure of my invention, leaving out of consideration such parts as are well known and are not necessary in order to avoid any confusion or ambiguity.

In constructing a vehicle in accordance with my improvements I make a wagon-body A of the desired size, shape, and strength, which, as shown in the drawings, is practically square in cross-section and rectangular in longitudinal sections. This body is provided with the usual bottom portion a, roof portion a', and preferably with a dashboard or rod c2.

I prefer to provide the end portion of the wagon with doors B, that may be closed or opened, as desired. I further provide the side portions with openings O, through which the driver or messenger may enter the body of the wagon. In order to close these openings when desired, I provide sliding doors D and secure them to the wagon-body in such position that they may be used for closing the side openings, as shown in Fig. 2.

In order to provide the wagon with means by which it maybe completely closed vduring stormy weather or opened during fair weather, so that the driver may sit right over the dashboard, I provide a seat portion E and pivot one portion thereof at e to the floor of the wagon-body, sothat the seat may be folded over adjacent to the front portion of the wagon, as shown in Fig. l, when desired and for the purposes hereinafter described.

I further provide the front of the wagon with a foldable portion, consisting of what might be termed an upper swinging section (1ll and a lower swinging section G', each pivoted to the front portion of the wagon at g and g', as shown in the drawings. The upper swinging door is held in its upper open position by means of a latch or button g2, while the lower swinging door is held in its lower position by the seat portion, so that it in turn forms a seat for the driver or messenger, as shown in Fig. 1, in which instance the driver can sit directly in front of the wagon with his feet resting on the dashboard or rod, and thus be enabled to get down from or on to the wagon very easily.

In operation, when it is desired to use my wagon as an open wagon, I fold or swing the seat over into the position shown in Fig. I. I then unbutton the two foldable doors,

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swinging the upper door into the up position and allowing the lower door to swing down onto the inverted seat, so as to form a seat.

In order to convert the wagon into a closed wagon, I swing the folding doors into the position shown in Fig. 2, which brings them practically into the same vertical plane, and hold them in that position by means of the button or catch g3. The side doors are then brought into their closed position an d the seat portion turned over and back, so that the driver or messenger can sit in the wagon proper and be protected from the elements. Slots g4 are provided in the swinging front sections, through which the reins may be inserted when the wagon is being used in its closed position.

Vhiie I have described my invention with more or less minuteness as regards details, and asA being embodied in certain precise forms, I do not desire to be limited thereto unduly, any more than is pointed out in the claims. On the contrary, I contemplate all proper changes in form, construction, and arrangement, the omission of immaterial elements and the substitution of equivalents, as circumstances may suggest or render expedient.

I claiml. In a vehicle of the class described, a body portion provided with a front portion adapted to be closed and form a front for the body, and opened to form a seat portion, snbstantially as described.

2. In a vehicle of the class described, a body portion in which there are combined sides and roof, and a front portion composed of two swinging sections adapted to form a front for the wagon-body when in its closed position, at least one of such portions or sections arranged to form a seat portion when in its open position, substantially as described.

3. In a Vehicle of the class described, a body portion in which there are combined sides, roof l and end portions, a front portion composed of swinging foldable sections adapted to form a front for the wagon-body when in its closed position and a seat portion when in its open position, and sliding doors arranged in the sides to complete the closing of the wagon or open the same for ingress or egress as desired, substantially as described.

4. In a Vehicle of the class described, abcd y portion in which there are combined sides, rooi` 

